Chef notes
In our house, barbecue ribs are always on the menu during the final big games of the football season. The bigger the game, the bigger the rib! These mammoth beef ribs are easy to master in your oven or on a barbecue pit.
Technique tip: When you buy the plate ribs, ask the butcher to remove the membrane for you. Keep the beef ribs covered for all but the last 10 minutes to prevent them from drying out. If cooking these ribs on a barbecue pit, keep the ribs uncovered for the first two hours to absorb the smoke, then wrap in foil for the remaining 3 hours.
Ingredients
- 1 (5- to 6-pound) rack of beef plate ribs; 3 large bones attached
- 1/3 cup of your favorite barbecue rub
- 2 cups of your favorite Kansas City-style barbecue sauce
Preparation
1.Remove the layer of membrane on the back of the ribs by working a butter knife between the bone and the thick layer. Continue to do this to each bone until you can get your fingers under the membrane to pull it away from the entire backside of the rib rack.
2.Turn the rack over to the beef side. Using a sharp knife, trim away any excess fat and remove any silver skin, the thin pearlescent membrane on top of the beef.
3.Evenly coat the entire rib rack with barbecue rub. Let rubbed rack stand for at least 20 minutes.
4.Preheat oven to 250 F.
5.Place the ribs, bone-side down, on a foil-lined tray. Place foil over ribs, carefully crimping the foil around the edges of the pan to prevent steam from escaping.
6.Place the covered rib tray on the center rack of the oven and cook for 4½-5 hours. Check for doneness by poking the meat between the bones. There should be no resistance.
7.Carefully remove the foil top and baste the ribs with your barbecue sauce.
8.Return ribs, uncovered, to the oven for no more than 10 minutes to allow the sauce to set in the heat.
9.Remove the ribs from the oven and loosely cover the meat with foil. Let ribs rest for at least 30 minutes before handling and serving.
10.Slice through the meat between each rib bone and serve.
